Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) vs Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | MSGS | 1.2% revenue growth vs MSGE's -1.7% |
| Value | MSGS | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | MSGE | 5.1% net margin vs MSGS's -1.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MSGS | Beta 0.66 vs MSGE's 0.99 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MSGE | +82.9% vs MSGS's +62.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MSGE | 2.8% ROA vs MSGS's -1.1%, ROIC 8.5% vs 1.5% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. is a professional sports holding company that owns major league franchises including the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL). It generates revenue primarily from media rights deals, ticket sales and premium seating, and arena sponsorships — with media rights being the largest contributor. The company's moat lies in its ownership of iconic, geographically-protected professional sports franchises in the lucrative New York market, which creates scarcity value and strong brand loyalty.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment is a live entertainment company that produces and hosts concerts, sporting events, and theatrical productions in iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. It generates revenue primarily from ticket sales, venue rentals, and food/beverage concessions at its events — supplemented by operating high-end dining and nightlife venues under brands like Tao and Marquee. The company's key advantage is its ownership of legendary, irreplaceable venues in prime New York City locations that attract top-tier talent and command premium pricing.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MSGE leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MSGS leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MSGS and MSGE operate at a comparable scale, with $1.1B and $1.0B in trailing revenue. MSGE is the more profitable business, keeping 5.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MSGS's -1.5%.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.1B | $1.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $8M | $195M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $52M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $3M | $207M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +25.9% | +46.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.4% | +13.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.5% | +5.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.3% | +20.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +12.8% | +12.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +6.5% | +24.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, MSGE's 20.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MSGS's 140.6x.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.5B | $2.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.5B | $3.7B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -356.62x | 82.00x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 52.74x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 140.57x | 20.62x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.45x | 2.71x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 17.08x | 27.41x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MSGE scores 6/9 vs MSGS's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +144.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.1% | +2.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.5% | +8.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.5% | +11.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.0B | $1.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $153M | $43M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.2B | $1.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.73x | 3.08x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MSGS five years ago would be worth $16,534 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,752 for MSGE. Over the past 12 months, MSGE leads with a +82.9% total return vs MSGS's +62.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MSGS at 20.2% vs MSGE's 1.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +28.1% | +16.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +62.8% | +82.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +73.5% | +4.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +65.3% | -42.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +340.5% | -28.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +20.2% | +1.4% |
Risk & Volatility
MSGS is the less volatile stock with a 0.66 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MSGE's 0.99 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.66x | 0.99x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $345.46 | $65.20 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $173.26 | $28.29 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +96.0% | +96.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 65.7 | 54.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 195K | 276K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MSGS as "Buy" and MSGE as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 4.5% upside for MSGE (target: $66) vs -0.6% for MSGS (target: $330).
| Metric | MSGSMadison Square Ga… | MSGEMadison Square Ga… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $329.75 | $66.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 28 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.0% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.03 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.8% | +1.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | 100 | 169.7 | +69.7% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 90.02 | 69.98 | -22.3% |
Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) returned +65% over 5 years vs Madison Square Gard… (MSGE)'s -42%. A $10,000 investment in MSGS 5 years ago would be worth $16,534 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | $1.1B | $1.0B | -6.8% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | $989M | $943M | -4.7% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s revenue grew from $1.1B (2016) to $1.0B (2025) — a -0.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | -6.9% | -2.2% | +68.8% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 0.7% | 4.0% | +469.2% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s net margin went from -7% (2016) to -2% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 6 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | 22.4 | 92.5 | +312.9% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 14.7 | 70 | +376.2% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. has traded in a 22x–96x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-357x. Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. has traded in a 12x–70x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~82x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGS) | -3.12 | -0.93 | +70.2% |
| Madison Square Gard… (MSGE) | 0.29 | 0.77 | +165.5% |
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.'s EPS grew from $-3.12 (2016) to $-0.93 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. generated $88M FCF in 2025 (+346% vs 2021). Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. generated $93M FCF in 2025 (+159% vs 2021).
MSGS vs MSGE: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MSGS or MSGE a better buy right now?
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) offers the better valuation at 82.0x trailing P/E (52.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) a "Buy" — based on 28 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — MSGS or MSGE?
Over the past 5 years, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) delivered a total return of +65.3%, compared to -42.5% for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE). A $10,000 investment in MSGS five years ago would be worth approximately $17K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MSGS returned +340.5% versus MSGE's -28.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — MSGS or MSGE?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.66β versus Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.'s 0.99β — meaning MSGE is approximately 49% more volatile than MSGS relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MSGS or MSGE?
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE) is the more profitable company, earning 4.0% net margin versus -2.2% for Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. — meaning it keeps 4.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MSGE leads at 13.0% versus 1.4% for MSGS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MSGE leads at 43.2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is MSGS or MSGE more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for MSGE: 4.5% to $66.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — MSGS or MSGE?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is MSGS or MSGE better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSGS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.66), +340.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MSGS: +340.5%, MSGE: -28.7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between MSGS and MSGE?
Both stocks operate in the Communication Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 6%
- Gross Margin > 15%